Nominal salary tells you how much money you receive. Cost-of-living-adjusted salary tells you how much that money can actually buy. A $200,000 salary in San Francisco and a $140,000 salary in Austin can provide nearly identical purchasing power. Tax differences are not included.
Where Should I Live?
Nominal vs COL-Adjusted Salary
| # | Location | Median (Nominal) | COL Index | Adjusted | COL Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto, CA | $104,000 | 138.5 | $75,090 | #4 (-3) |
| 2 | Sunnyvale, CA | $100,000 | 138.5 | $72,202 | #5 (-3) |
| 3 | Mountain View, CA | $99,500 | 138.5 | $71,841 | #6 (-3) |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $99,403 | 114.6 | $86,739 | #2 (+2) |
| 5 | Cupertino, CA | $94,924 | 138.5 | $68,537 | #8 (-3) |
| 6 | Cambridge, MA | $90,250 | 146.5 | $61,604 | #14 (-8) |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $90,000 | 138.5 | $64,982 | #10 (-3) |
| 8 | New York, NE | $89,920 | 90.8 | $99,031 | #1 (+7) |
| 9 | Santa Clara, CA | $88,594 | 138.5 | $63,966 | #12 (-3) |
| 10 | San Jose, CA | $88,587 | 138.5 | $63,962 | #13 (-3) |
| 11 | Redmond, WA | $87,316 | 114.6 | $76,192 | #3 (+8) |
| 12 | Natick, MA | $83,189 | 146.5 | $56,784 | #15 (-3) |
| 13 | Boston, MA | $71,739 | 146.5 | $48,969 | #17 (-4) |
| 14 | Alexandria, VA | $71,344 | 100.7 | $70,848 | #7 (+7) |
| 15 | San Diego, CA | $63,440 | 138.5 | $45,805 | #18 (-3) |
| 16 | Somerset, NJ | $61,000 | 113.7 | $53,650 | #16 |
| 17 | Washington, DC | $60,000 | 146.0 | $41,096 | #20 (-3) |
| 18 | Houston, TX | $60,000 | 92.7 | $64,725 | #11 (+7) |
| 19 | Chicago, IL | $60,000 | 92.3 | $65,005 | #9 (+10) |
| 20 | Los Angeles, CA | $56,555 | 138.5 | $40,834 | #21 (-1) |
| 21 | Torrance, CA | $56,555 | 138.5 | $40,834 | #22 (-1) |
| 22 | Irvine, CA | $55,000 | 138.5 | $39,711 | #23 (-1) |
| 23 | New York, NY | $52,000 | 125.1 | $41,567 | #19 (+4) |
Key Insights
- The highest nominal salary for Technical Writers is in Palo Alto, CA at $104,000, but after cost-of-living adjustment New York, NE offers the best purchasing power at $99,031 equivalent.
- Hidden gem: Chicago, IL ranks #19 by nominal pay but climbs to #9 once cost of living is factored in (up 10 spots), making its $60,000 go a lot further.
- Beware: Cambridge, MA looks strong at #6 on nominal pay ($90,250) but its high cost of living drops it 8 spots to #14 on purchasing power.
Salary Check
Are you a Technical Writers wondering if you are underpaid?
Compare your pay against government-filed salary data for this role.